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God Bless Americagate - Fan ejected after trying to go to gents during game

juvenal

I would've posted this in baseball or politics but it's bound to cover a variety of topics

The NY Yankees have had a recent tradition whereby God Bless America is performed at home games in Yankee stadium during the seventh-inning stretch, usually live by our own Ronan Tynan. This has been going on since September 2001, and the YES network (television station that shows the home games), doesn't go to an ad break (pretty much unheard of in US television) and shows the full performance.

At last weeks game versus arch-rivals the Boston Red Sox, Queens native Brad Campeau-Laurion decided to take the opportunity to go to the gents. Upon doing so, he was accosted by a NYPD officer, who told him he had to stay in his seat for the duration of the ceremony. He told the cop that he was going to the bathroom and didn't particularly care for the song, and then two cops pinned his arms behind his back and hustled him toward the nearest exit - telling him to "get out of their country if I didn't like it":eek:

The Yankees have directed all enquiries to the NYPD, who have said that Campeau-Lampion was thrown out because he was "standing on his seat cursing, using inappropriate language and acting in a disrespectful manner while reeking of alcohol." Eyewitnesses have said that he was nothing of the sort, and that the NYPD were heavy-handed and OTT in their actions - so now it's the guy v the NYPD.

Of course this has now been taken up by the civil liberites groups here, who are claiming that he was denied his constitutional rights and was unfairly treated by the actions of the officers.

Perhaps it's not that serious, but it is a disgrace that he was ejected, whatever the stadium's policy on the matter. A sad example of the silly, misplaced jingoism that counts as patriotism to some people today :mad:

The fora on this side of the pond show a range of opinion, from the "typical-NYPD-heavy-handed-reaction", to the "good work for getting that French-commie out of our game":rolleyes:

Links:

The Irish Times

CBS New York

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[Deleted User]

People in Ireland get the same abuse when they don't care to stand for the national anthem. Not from the Gardai but from other members of the public, publicans, etc. It's the same crap over here in this case.

Karoma

What? What's the problem? I see no problem. In my day, if we didn't salute each other and say Heil Hitler, we'd get worse. He got off lightly. Heil Bush!

juvenal

Random wrote: »

People in Ireland get the same abuse when they don't care to stand for the national anthem. Not from the Gardai but from other members of the public, publicans, etc. It's the same crap over here in this case.

This song is not the US National Anthem

I personally think people should stand and respect the National Anthem of any country, be it The Star-Spangled Banner, Amhrán na bhFiann or even God Save The Queen. If they want to walk out or stay seated that's their right, but I wouldn't agree with it. I've never refused to stand for any country's national anthem when I'm present for it being played, it's just a respect thing.

The same way I would expect people to at least stand and remain silent for the Amhrán na bhFiann, irrespective of their political allegiance or nationality.

Turd Ferguson

Random wrote: »

People in Ireland get the same abuse when they don't care to stand for the national anthem. Not from the Gardai but from other members of the public, publicans, etc. It's the same crap over here in this case.

No they dont. Its the opposite. If you start singing along to our anthem you usually get abuse shouted at you for actually knowing the words. And thats the way I likes it!

[Deleted User]

juvenal wrote: »

This song is not the US National Anthem

I personally think people should stand and respect the National Anthem of any country, be it The Star-Spangled Banner, Amhrán na bhFiann or even God Save The Queen. If they want to walk out or stay seated that's their right, but I wouldn't agree with it. I've never refused to stand for any country's national anthem when I'm present for it being played, it's just a respect thing.

The same way I would expect people to at least stand and remain silent for the Amhrán na bhFiann, irrespective of their political allegiance or nationality.

Yah .. you know what .. you win .. I just cba having this argument - I think we've gone as far as we can on the subject.

Supercell

Feverent unthinking jingoistic nationalistic support to the masses
Sounds like theres not much different beween Bush's America and Hitlers Germany to be honest.

Its bloody weird, every second building in the US has an American flag draped from it..only in totalitarian or nutjob regimes do you see stuff like that.
Sooner that goon is removed from power the better for the rest of the world.

Karoma

And thus the process is completed.
Thank you Mr Godwin.

pickarooney

Random wrote: »

I think we've gone as far as we can on the subject.

Six posts into an After Hours thread, that's up there with '64k should be enough memory for anyone'.

Supercell

Karoma wrote: »

And thus the process is completed.
Thank you Mr Godwin.

Lol, i knew some smartarse would mention Godwins law as i was posting..but its not a typical i disagree, you are a nazi post in my defence!

Wagon

Glad we live in Ireland. Poor bastard.

juvenal

Random wrote: »

Yah .. you know what .. you win .. I just cba having this argument - I think we've gone as far as we can on the subject.

Oh-kay. . .

pickarooney wrote: »

Six posts into an After Hours thread, that's up there with '64k should be enough memory for anyone'.

Too true

brianthebard

Supercell wrote: »

Lol, i knew some smartarse would mention Godwins law as i was posting..but its not a typical i disagree, you are a nazi post in my defence!

Yes it was.

thelordofcheese

In before Overheal.

Overheal

Random wrote: »

People in Ireland get the same abuse when they don't care to stand for the national anthem. Not from the Gardai but from other members of the public, publicans, etc. It's the same crap over here in this case.

Maybe it was because I was a yank but I never once stood for your anthem...and I drank in a Wolfe Tones fan club of a bar. Nobody batted an eyelid.

Hey whaddya know he was in before Overheal.

New Yorkers sure have gotten sensitive though havent they.

bleg

god bless americagate, i see what you did there. it's because of the watergate scandal isn't it. now what you did was take the "gate" from watergate and apply it to the end of this scandal. genius!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

I had a similar 'discussion' with estabhancambiaso: should a lack of patriotism be a crime?

Fvck, no.

If I want to piss during the game, what's the problem? If I want to piss on/set fire to/wipe my arse with the flag of the US/Ireland what's the problem? If I want to sit during a patriotic song and ignore it completely, what's the problem?

Ross_Mahon

I'm not very patriotic about the whole national anthem, stress of standing up!

kowloon

I'd love someone to convince me that the country I'm in is the best for more reasons than the mere fact I live in it.
The way I see it Irishness has nothing to do with Ireland as a state, there are Irish people north of the border.
The difference between states isn't much more than who imposes the rules, take the lions share of the wealth and how they squander it.
Within that framework I see no reason why anyone should need to pay homage to a song or a piece of coloured fabric.

Cunny-Funt

I know the nazi references are cliché but in all honestly I'm getting more and more worried.

Its a long way off yet but it really does feel like modern day America is the closest thing there is atm to 1930's Germany.

In the west anyway.

Oh yes and 'in after overheal tried to make it look like he's not annoyed by the "in before overheal" comments'

Fratton Fred

I always knew that entering an English football ground meant leaving your civil rights at the turnstyle, I didn't realise the same applied in the US.

j1smithy

Supercell wrote: »

Feverent unthinking jingoistic nationalistic support to the masses
Sounds like theres not much different beween Bush's America and Hitlers Germany to be honest.

Its bloody weird, every second building in the US has an American flag draped from it..only in totalitarian or nutjob regimes do you see stuff like that.
Sooner that goon is removed from power the better for the rest of the world.

Ah now theres a big difference between bush's america and Hitlers Germany. Like bush or not, he will be gone by january 2009. The same can't be said for hitler, after all he had to kill himself for germany to be rid of him.

barnacle

Karoma wrote: »

What? What's the problem? I see no problem. In my day, if we didn't salute each other and say Heil Hitler, we'd get worse. He got off lightly. Heil Bush!

Mein Heir(y) Bush

Had to be done.

Kintarō Hattori

All joking and silly nazi references aside the level of patriotism in america that we are being presented seems to be a little scary. Overheal, Pillypen, is it really as bad as we seem to believe? Is it being taken to excess? Are people's freedoms really being curbed in the course of justice?

Officer officer I really have to go have a whizz.

I'm sorry son, stadium rules are you can't leave the area while that song is being played.

But office I can't help it, it's the call of nature.

Rules are rules son.

But I'm going to piss myself.

Take him down boys.

Whatever happened to common sense?

pucan

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

should a lack of patriotism be a crime?
Fvck, no.

That's fair enough.

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

If I want to piss on/set fire to/wipe my arse with the flag of the US/Ireland what's the problem?

You are insulting all those who are patriotic. Do you think it's okay to wipe your ass with the koran or torah?

kowloon

pucan wrote: »

Do you think it's okay to wipe your ass with the koran or torah?

The whole of the book or just a page? I'd rather a flag to an entire book.

Of course if we're talking symbolism, you are comparing state and religion.
I think most would be more upset if you defiled their beliefs than the symbol of their tax collectors

monosharp

Random wrote: »

People in Ireland get the same abuse when they don't care to stand for the national anthem. Not from the Gardai but from other members of the public, publicans, etc. It's the same crap over here in this case.

Well first of all, God bless America isn't a national anthem. Personally I think everyone should stand for any countries national anthem, its such a small thing to do, a small sign of respect, its a quite different situation to not listening to God bless America. Although If you really didn't/don't want to stand for the anthem its your choice, Its still not worthy of getting kicked out of anywhere.

FatherTed

Usually most other teams play "Take me out the the ball game" during the 7th inning stretch but God Bless America song has been played at Yankees games since 9/11. I think it has become more of a rememberence song now in honor of the 9/11 victims. Plus he was a drunk red sox fan at yankee stadium, what do you expect?

Overheal

Kintarō Hattori wrote: »

All joking and silly nazi references aside the level of patriotism in america that we are being presented seems to be a little scary. Overheal, Pillypen, is it really as bad as we seem to believe? Is it being taken to excess?

From my own experiences, I can safely say the Americagate Scandal is shear lunacy.

Are people's freedoms really being curbed in the course of justice?

Lets not go there. Cuba this and Patriot Act that. Only 1 US Citizen was ever held under that act and from what I heard it was under some unusual circumstances in the Middle East. Do I think average civilians are being discriminated against for not wearing lapel pins? Absolutely not.

[Deleted User]

juvenal wrote: »

I would've posted this in baseball or politics but it's bound to cover a variety of topics

The NY Yankees have had a recent tradition whereby God Bless America is performed at home games in Yankee stadium during the seventh-inning stretch, usually live by our own Ronan Tynan. This has been going on since September 2001, and the YES network (television station that shows the home games), doesn't go to an ad break (pretty much unheard of in US television) and shows the full performance.

At last weeks game versus arch-rivals the Boston Red Sox, Queens native Brad Campeau-Laurion decided to take the opportunity to go to the gents. Upon doing so, he was accosted by a NYPD officer, who told him he had to stay in his seat for the duration of the ceremony. He told the cop that he was going to the bathroom and didn't particularly care for the song, and then two cops pinned his arms behind his back and hustled him toward the nearest exit - telling him to "get out of their country if I didn't like it":eek:

The Yankees have directed all enquiries to the NYPD, who have said that Campeau-Lampion was thrown out because he was "standing on his seat cursing, using inappropriate language and acting in a disrespectful manner while reeking of alcohol." Eyewitnesses have said that he was nothing of the sort, and that the NYPD were heavy-handed and OTT in their actions - so now it's the guy v the NYPD.

Of course this has now been taken up by the civil liberites groups here, who are claiming that he was denied his constitutional rights and was unfairly treated by the actions of the officers.

Perhaps it's not that serious, but it is a disgrace that he was ejected, whatever the stadium's policy on the matter. A sad example of the silly, misplaced jingoism that counts as patriotism to some people today :mad:

The fora on this side of the pond show a range of opinion, from the "typical-NYPD-heavy-handed-reaction", to the "good work for getting that French-commie out of our game":rolleyes:

Links:

The Irish Times

CBS New York

God the law enforcement use nearly the exact same tactics in lying as the.y do here, amazing

Overheal

Well New York has a lot of Irish dissent